Rob stood by the long table, looking at both sides. He felt it wasn't quite right to sit on either side because there were only five people in total. If they sat facing each other, one person would inevitably be facing empty air. So, he walked to the side of the long table, pulled up a chair, and sat down. "I'll just sit here," he said.This arrangement placed Hugo and Joseph on one side, and Brad and Martin on the other, making the seating perfectly balanced. Hugo had initially thought there would be at least five people auditioning, but it seemed it was just him and Brad, along with the current top candidate, Tom Cruise.Sitting across from Hugo was Brad, with Rob to his left and Joseph to his right. Hugo and Brad's gazes met briefly, and the two young men exchanged a smile before quickly looking away. Hugo could see the fierce determination in Brad's blue eyes, a confident and energetic demeanor that sparked with intensity. Although Hugo and Brad hadn't reached the stage of a life-or-death competitive battle, it was clear that after "a river runs through it", the two were meeting again, and neither wanted to lose in this competition.As a senior agent, Martin started the conversation as soon as he sat down. "This is your first work in two years, right? I heard you've been preparing for a long time, and we've been eagerly awaiting it. Joseph and I were just rewatching 'when harry met sally' last month, weren't we?"Brad knew the last question was directed at him, so he immediately responded, "Yes, at that time I was asking Martin if I could have the opportunity to audition if you were to direct a film in the future."Hugo watched the two across from him skillfully playing off each other, while he and Joseph, having only been together for two months, clearly lacked chemistry. Hugo didn't seem nervous at all and even turned to look at Joseph, as if to say, "Look how skilled Martin is." Joseph glared back at him."Directing is never rushed, is it? I don't want my directing career to be defined by just 'when harry met sally'." Rob said with a smile, looking at the menu. His words were gentle, neither harsh nor sarcastic, but they left Martin and Brad feeling a bit awkward, forcing them to laugh and nod.Seeing the awkward expressions on the faces of the two across from him, Hugo and Joseph couldn't help but laugh."Let's order first. I've been craving their grilled chicken breast for a long time." Rob studied the menu intently, looking genuinely hungry. "The chicken noodle soup is also very good."Hugo had intended to speak up, as being passive during an audition wouldn't work, but seeing Rob like this, he clearly didn't want to get down to business right away. So, Hugo also started reading the menu seriously. America is a country of immigrants, and they don't have their own unique cuisine. Glancing at the menu, Hugo saw nothing but fried chicken, making him miss the diverse cuisine from his home country."Hugo, how about it? Is there anything on the menu that catches your eye?" Rob initiated the conversation, seemingly wanting to give Hugo a chance after Brad's earlier performance."Um, I'm not sure. I see Mrs. Norton's famous fried chicken." Hugo was genuinely reading the menu, so his response was a bit hesitant as he read the detailed description of the dish. "I'm wondering if this is really Mrs. Norton's special fried chicken?" Since the restaurant is called Norton's Berries, this dish should be one of their signature items.Hugo's words made the other four men chuckle, including the two competitors across from him. Although Martin's smile was more disdainful, Hugo couldn't help but smile as well. "Alright, alright, I know, I'm not a food expert. I admit this sad fact.""If you're curious, just order it and give it a try." This was Rob's advice.Hugo actually ordered the dish called "Mrs. Norton's famous fried chicken". After the appetizers and salad, when Hugo saw the main course being served, he was stunned. On a pristine white plate, there were only four measly chicken wings. "Um, are you sure this is enough to fill you up?"Although Hugo lowered his voice, everyone except Joseph to his right heard him. Brad's eyes were filled with amusement. Today's focus should be on the audition, not the food. However, Hugo was right; as a main dish, this plate of "famous fried chicken" didn't look like it could fill anyone up. But Hugo seemed to have missed the point. Nevertheless, Hugo's honesty had a sincere charm that made it impossible to dislike him and even brought a smile to people's faces.However, Martin Baum, the agent, didn't see it that way. With a smile, he said, "If it's not enough, you can order more." His words were filled with sarcasm, as if Hugo was there just to freeload.Rob was no stranger to such scenes. In Hollywood, competition is fierce, and without it, there's no future. Politeness won't get you anywhere. Martin's verbal sparring was just a drop in the bucket. But Rob didn't want to sit there and watch them bicker, so he changed the subject. "Next month, the Rodney King incident goes to trial, right? I've seen it on the front page of the 'Los Angeles Times' for two weeks straight. It's going to be quite a spectacle."Although Rob seemed to be making small talk, everyone present, including Hugo, knew that this was an audition. Any conversation beyond pleasantries was not just idle chatter. The Rodney King incident involved a court debate and could be seen as a variant topic for the audition of "a few good men."Brad, being more experienced than the time-traveling Hugo, quickly picked up the topic. "We must uphold the justice of the law, right? The actions of those four police officers must be punished."Hugo initially didn't understand what the "Rodney King incident" was about, as he had only been in this world for two months and wasn't familiar with American news. But as Brad responded, Hugo quickly grasped the situation. This incident was so significant that even an outsider like him knew it had caused an uproar across America and had global implications."But isn't Rodney King the one who really made the mistake?" Hugo asked. "Wasn't it the media that orchestrated all of this? They convicted those four white police officers in the court of public opinion, creating a narrative that led to the current situation, right?"Hugo's perspective was completely different from Brad's, which immediately drew Brad's attention. He looked at Hugo with a mix of confusion and anger, as did Rob, who seemed shocked, making Hugo feel like he had done something terribly wrong.The story goes like this: Rodney King was a black man with a criminal record. Last March, he and two black friends got drunk, but Rodney insisted on driving them home. They were pulled over by a patrol car, and the officers ordered Rodney to stop.Rodney's companions realized the police were there and told him to stop, but the drunk Rodney started a high-speed chase on the highway. Rodney knew he was on parole and that getting caught for drunk driving would be disastrous, so he tried to escape.Eventually, Rodney was stopped by the police. After backup arrived, the police set up a roadblock with more than twenty cars and successfully apprehended him. Rodney's two companions immediately put their hands behind their backs and were arrested, but Rodney, knowing he was in trouble, started making provocative gestures to enrage the police.The surrounding officers issued verbal warnings, but when they were ineffective, four officers approached to arrest Rodney. However, the tall and strong Rodney was not afraid and started fighting back. One of the officers was even knocked down, which provoked the other three officers to use force. But the muscular Rodney stood up again and resisted for a full minute before the officers finally subdued him with their batons.Surprisingly, this beating was captured on video by a resident named George Holliday. He recorded 81 seconds of the incident. The video did not show Rodney's provocations or the moment when he knocked down the officer; it only showed the struggle and the officers beating Rodney.The next day, George sent the video to the local Los Angeles TV station KTLA. Struggling with declining ratings, KTLA saw this as a golden opportunity. After the station manager's approval, the editors cut the 81-second original video down to 68 seconds, creating the illusion of white officers brutally beating a helpless black man.This video was broadcast hundreds of times on American TV stations, becoming a national sensation of racial discrimination. Sensitive black communities felt their lives were under severe threat, reminiscent of the recent Gulf War, leading to riots across America and even globally.Over the past year, the Rodney King incident has been a thorn in everyone's side, overshadowing even the upcoming presidential election. Next month's court debate will be in the spotlight.Brad, Martin, Rob, and the others had clearly seen the 68-second edited video. Even as white individuals, they understood the severity of the incident. However, Hugo's differing opinion was like a bombshell. Seeing everyone's shocked expressions, Hugo innocently asked, "Haven't you seen the CNN news?"
